CH 20

Count Bedos’s grudge against Duke Bledel runs deep. When Ian’s father, Benjamin Cassel, was still alive, the two men were equal in power. Their estates, businesses, and political positions were equal, and they were not far apart in the Emperor’s favor.

The emperor liked to weigh them up and pit them against each other. That is how he kept his power strong for so many years.

Duke Bledel sharpened his blades of revenge against him, but never revealed his true colors. Until then, he had been a loyal servant to Asha, helping the Emperor in any way he could.

However, as the Emperor grew more ambitious about conquering Xenos, the balance of power naturally shifted in favor of Duke Bledel. The emperor promised to make his daughter the next empress, with the intention of using Duke Bledel in moderation.

Crown Prince Ian’s marriage was decided. The Empress, unaware of the Emperor’s true intentions, vehemently opposed his decision.

“I cannot allow my son to be betrothed to the daughter of such a manipulative person!”

Empress Ramelia was not pleased with the Emperor’s decision to give her son to Duke Bledel’s daughter. In her eyes, Duke Bledel always hid a sinister intention. His ambition, it seemed, would eventually consume his own son.

The reliable Claflin family has no daughter, so Rosetin, the daughter of Count Bedos, who had a bit more calculative nature and understanding of propriety, was the better choice.

The Empress visited the Emperor’s Palace every day to annul Ian’s marriage. The emperor was furious and began to grow cold toward her, accusing her of disrespecting his authority.

At the time, the emperor was focused on securing agreements with neighboring countries and secretly preparing for war. The marriage of his young son was the last thing on his mind.

“Xenos was originally one. It should all belong to me.”

Most nobles cowered like cowards at the mere mention of war. Only Duke Bledel gave strong support to the Emperor’s wishes.

One of his strategies was to assassinate Emperor Xenos, who had the ability to freely wield the power of water.

After hearing Duke Bledel’s plan, it didn’t seem entirely impossible. The Emperor’s interest was piqued. Holding the territory of Xenos in his hands would be a feat for the ages, and would make him the greatest emperor of Asha.

It was his lifelong dream. Therefore, the Empress’s interference at such a crucial time was met with great resentment.

The Emperor no longer visited the Empress’ palace and kept Vanessa, his mistress, close. The once harmonious relationship between the couple deteriorated.

As this situation continued, the tension between Duke Bledel and Count Bedos became even sharper. Then Count Bedos’ daughter disappeared

Rosetin, who was supposed to be at the Count’s manor, disappeared in a blink of an eye. There was no sign of a break-in, and no one had heard her cries.

Thinking that the culprit might be among the servants, the Count tortured them harshly. But nothing came out.

She was a precious child he had after a long time, a beautiful daughter who would one day become an Empress and honor their family name. The Count and Countess were devastated.

For a long time, they searched for her in a half-crazed frenzy, but found no trace of her. Finally, just as they were about to accept that she was dead, the Emperor, pretending to comfort Count Bedos, said something meaningful.

“It is hard to understand how Rosetin could have disappeared like that. Was there not someone with a grudge against you, someone who was looking for an opportunity to threaten you, Count Bedos?”

Count Bedos’s mind flashed back to the eerie red eyes of Duke Bledel. A jumble of thoughts cluttered his mind. The Emperor sensed that his words had gone over well with Count Bedos, as he had expected.

Already, the Emperor secretly released men to spread false rumors, which would soon reach Count Bedos’ ears. In the absence of hard evidence, Count Bedos will not be able to do anything about the Bledel family, so he will return to politics and throw himself into a power struggle with Duke Bledel.

Now that he has the Xenos he craves, he needs stability and balance again. The time had come to suppress Duke Bledel’s power.

Though he could find no evidence of Rosetin’s disappearance, the Emperor’s words ignited a flame in the Count’s mind that could not be extinguished. That very day, as he was leaving the palace after his private audience with the Emperor, he ran into Duke Bledel.

Duke Bledel looked at Count Bedos up and down and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. You must have had a hard time.”

Just as Count Bedos was about to ignore him, Duke Bledel spoke provocatively.

“If you covet something that’s too much, disaster is inevitable.”

Duke Bledel flashed him a mean smile and walked past him. Count Bedos felt a strange conviction at that moment.

‘It was him. He took my daughter away. Who the hell is it if it’s not him!’

Some time later, he heard a strange rumor among the servants.

An unidentified wanderer was talking in a tavern in the square, saying that long ago he had seen strange men carrying a pink-haired girl in a sack onto a ship, and that the ship belonged to Duke Bledel.

Count Bedos tried to find out who had spread the word, but he was unsuccessful. He officially requested an investigation from the Emperor, who granted his request. However, no clues could be found.

Instead, Duke Bledel demanded a large sum of money from Count Bedos for insulting his family name. Fortunately, the Emperor’s mediation ended with both families no longer discussing Rosetine’s disappearance.

Since then, Count Bedos has regarded Duke Bledel as his mortal enemy, fueling his determination to eventually bring both Duke Bledel and his daughter to the depths of hell. Just as they had done to him.

***

One day, Rosetin returned. She was the daughter he had dreamed of. As well as the appearance, the location and scar of the mole she had ever since she was a child remained the same.

The child he remembered as a cute, innocent child had grown into a beautiful, remarkable young woman.

Rosetin said she had a head injury and had lost her memory. It happened to flow near the border and was raised by an ordinary couple without children.

Then, during the war, she lost her adoptive parents. Left to fend for herself, she feared for her life, so she cut her hair and cross-dressed to hide her gender. She went through many crises before she found her way to the Count’s house

When the Countess heard the story, she beat her chest and wept uncontrollably. The Count was furious and asked her the most important question of all.

“Who took you that day?”

Rosetin said she was too young to remember. The Count was deeply disappointed, but considered it a miracle that his daughter had returned. But is it because it’s been too long? Rosetin’s appearance, which looked calm and elegant, was somewhat unfamiliar.

The Countess had no doubt that she was his daughter, but the Count couldn’t readily open his heart because the process of confirming the bloodline was still pending.

It took time for the results to come out. The Count was careful to keep the news from getting out by keeping a tight rein on his servants.

In the meantime, he taught Rosetin the things that nobles should know. But somehow, Rosetin, who had been raised like a commoner, was able to do everything with aplomb, and there was a certain elegance in her speech and demeanor.

Whenever he saw her, he felt an indescribable chill. But his suspicions were not easily dispelled, so he sent someone to the border where Rosetin lived, just in case.

The orange eyes symbolized Bedos. It was clear that they belonged to his precious daughter, who had been lost long ago.

However, his doubts did not go away easily. Just in case, he sent someone near the border where Rosetin had lived. Nothing seemed to fit Rosetin’s story. His heart was stuffy as if he was in a maze that he could never escape from.

After a while, his suspicions about Rosetin were dispelled. As soon as he saw the results, Count Bedos’s heart pounded like he was being beaten with a giant bat.

This was his blood, the blood he would give his life for. A proud Bedos child, he could finally open his heart to Rosetin.

He wept tears of joy as he held his daughter in his arms, the one he had searched for so long. But Rosetin was calm, as if nothing had happened. She had been like that since the day she came home on her own.

Her face showed no joy or delight at being reunited with her parents, no bitterness, no resentment. Or, more accurately, she didn’t seem to feel any emotion at all. Like a lifeless doll that only moves. As soon as he realized that, a fiery rage flared up inside him again.

‘To think that such a lovely child has changed into this, and it’s all because of him.’ 

He could never forgive Duke Bledel for the ordeal that Rosetin had suffered. She should have grown up to be a fine young lady at the Count’s manor. It was because of him that he had blown his fortune and torn his family apart in his search for his daughter.

He and his wife endured ridicule and mockery for losing their daughter. The honor of Bedos must be restored.

He swore to the heavens that he would soon trample and obliterate Duke Bledel, who had stolen his daughter, tearing him to shreds until his limbs were unrecognizable. And that wretched woman who had taken the place of his daughter, he vowed to burn her alive, leaving nothing but ashes.